Sunday, August 10, 2008

Russians back drugs, claims IOC.

IOC drugs chief Arne Ljungqvist on Tuesday accused Russia of systematically doping after seven athletes were hit with suspensions which could lead to four-year bans. The 77-year-old Swede, who is also a vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), expressed his huge disappointment at what had taken place.

"A year ago I would have answered no," said Ljungqvist referring to whether he thought it was a case of systematic doping.

"However, I agree that it is a case of systematic doping. This would fall under the new WADA code that carries a four year ban."

The Russian scandal arose last week when the IAAF provisionally suspended seven leading Russian female athletes - five of whom were in the Russian Olympic squad - for the suspected switching of urine samples in drug tests last year.

The controls showed discrepancies in their DNA results, the IAAF said, which indicated the samples given were not from the athletes in question.

Yelena Soboleva, who has clocked the fastest times in the world this year over both 800m and 1500m, was targeted as well as fellow middle distance runners Svetlana Cherkasova, Yulia Fomenko, former double world champion Tatyana Tomashova and Olga Yegorova.

Yegorova has already courted controversy as the IAAF ruled she could run in the 2001 Edmonton world championships because French authorities had failed to test her blood as well as her urine when she tested positive for EPO at a Golden League meeting in Paris.

She went on to win the title in Canada amid boos from the crowd while Britain's long-distance star Paula Radcliffe held up a placard in the stands saying 'EPO Drug Cheats Out'.

Hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva, a former world record holder, and reigning European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, were also named in the affair.